Right
from the start of the match the top seed Dipika Pallikal looked in
full control of her game and the match.

Dipika was striking the ball
crisp and clean as she always does, mixing in an array of wicked
offensive boasts, mostly from the forehand side as well as timely
flicks and lots of dying length.

Perhaps Heba El Torky's hour and forty-five
minute match from the day before had something to do with it, but
Dipika looked in as good of form as we had seen this week.

After getting down 10-6 in the second, Heba climbed back to 9-10 on a
few of Dipika's errors, but at 9-10 Dipika decided to do nothing but
wait for an error from El Torky which she was rewarded with after an
a very long backhand rally and took the second.

A little tighter
third, but the outcome looked inevitable, as Dipika rolled on to win
her second Winnipeg Winter Club Women's Open title.

Unfortunately I couldn't recover well
from the semis match against Samantha Teran that lasted an hour and
45 mins.

I was playing well but I did hit so many tins from winner positions
and wasn't patient enough at times during my finals.

Thanks to Trevor, the sponsors and everyone who helped out during
the tournament. Thanks to all the amazing hosts here in Winnipeg
specially mine who I came again here to see!

Semi final one between Heba and Samantha was fiesty, fierce and
physical. In the earlier part of the match Samantha played like to
the experience pro she is, with great grit in her retrieving, using
the lob wise and cutting off cross courts whenever possible. Her
consistency managed to win her the first two games in extra points
both.

As the match wore on it became more physical with lots of stops and
starts for lets. Teran's frustration with the physicality grew as
did El Torky's confidence as she took the third. It was near the end
of the third that referee warned the players for being overly
physical. For the next game and a half or so the play was cleaner
and El Torky's squash improved taking the fourth.

The fifth was deservedly so a see-saw affair that came right down to
the wire. Teran fought of two match balls before El Torky Took it in
extra points in the fifth.

Dipika Pallikal 3-0 Donna Urquhart

Donna playing in one of her first tournaments back after a foot
injury had been having a good tournament, before running in to the
top seed and 2013 Champion, Dipika Pallika.

Dipika took control early in the match going up 8-2 in the first.
She stayed in control making Donna look uncomfortable with her
movement at times.

Donna however picked up her level in the third game, using as we
have seen all week, good variety in her game. Using the lob and some
xcourt angle volley drops she gained an 8-6 league in the third game
before the world #14 dug in and ran a string of points to take the
match in three straight games.

30-Jan:Quarters

Heba vs Oliva (11-6, 11-8, 11-3)

The
first quarterfinal of the evening has number two seed Heba El Torky
taking on American Olivia Blatchford. Olivia displayed excellent
racquet skills in this match.

Heba was very consistent and was moving really well tonight and
ultimately produced too much quality squash for Olivia tonight. Heba
won the match three games to love and continues her quest to avenge
her loss in the finals of the WWC Women's Open last year.

Sam vs Aisling (11-7, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5)

The
fourth seed Samantha Teran of Mexico and Aisling Blake of Ireland
was a battle of two tour vets who play extremely solid and
disciplined squash. Very little separated these as they got
virtually every ball and played a very strategic and tactical game.

Samantha was slightly stronger in her movement and her pace and that
slight edge added up towards the end of the games and she was able
to pull away at the end of the first two. The 3rd and 4th were more
one sided either way, but Samantha moves on to face Heba in
tomorrow's first Semi.

Donna vs Amanda (13-11, 11-8, 12-14, 11-8)

This
was a battle of two lefties, house mates for the week, and from the
countries down under. It was a very high level of play in this
match. Both players were moving extremely well and hittng the ball
all over the court with great accuracy and a good variety of shots.
Donna managed to pull off the first two games by the smallest of
margins.

The third was also extremely close with Donna going up 10-8 and
having two match points. However she was unable to capitalize as she
made a few unforced errors trying to finish things. Amanda came back
to take a close third in extra points.

The high level of squash continued in the fourth with things going
back and fourth and coming right down to the wire. The difference
was Donna was the better shot maker towards the end of the game as
she came out on top in the end.

Dipika vs Nadine (11-4, 11-9, 11-3)

The
top seed Dipika Pallikal appeared in more control of her game and
ultimately the match tonight than she did in her first round. She
was playing with a lot of confidence against the young egyptian.

Nadine moved extremely well to cover the court and extend the
rallies but Dipika was much too consistent and her quality of squash
was too high for her younger opponent in this quarter final. Dipika
mixed up her hard length with great attacking low kills to move on
to tomorrow's second semi final to face Donna Urquhart.

29-Jan:First Round - seeds safely through

Dipika vs Cyrielle 11-5, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6

A suprising match to most of the fans at the Winnipeg Winter Club as
the top seed as pushed much harder than perhaps even she thought she
may be. The french player Peltier came out with a determined and non
initimidated attitude which she maintained throughout.

The lounge at
the club was full which made for warm courts and little more
difficulty in putting the ball away for most players over the night.
While Peltier put up a terrific fight, it was ultimately the
talented Indian who had enough shots in her repatoir to hold off the
fierce french competitor.

Amanda vs Maria 11-9, 11-3, 11-6

Amanda was very consistent, Maria was very aggressive, very high
risk/high reward and she just made too many errors especially on the
backhand and from the back of the court. Amanda moved well and
looked strong and fast and used a working boast very effectively to
bring Maria to the front off the court.

Maria had some great shots
when she had time and used deception well but ultimately she didn't
move fast enough and she made too many mistakes. Amanda moves on
with a 3-0 victory.

Heba vs Millie 11-8, 11-9, 13-11

El Torky and Tomlinson started the match with excellent squash,
great attacks, great gets, along with consistent play and very few
errors from both players in the opening game. El Torky's working
boast helped her get to game ball in the second before Tomlinsson
climbed back to 9-10, ultimately losing 11-9.

The third game was
perhaps the best game of squash of the night. Both players looked
fit and fast. Lots of attacking and great gets made for exciting
squash. Both players were involved in a number of lets with a fair
bit of contact, but it was Tomlinsson who mangaged to win the 9-9
point and earn her first game ball of the match. But Heba was too
the more experienced of the two as she pulled it off 13-11 in the
third.

Donna vs Laura 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5

This was a sea saw affair throughout, with both players splitting
the first four games in nearly even scores. Both players showed good
all round games. Lots of good long rallies with lots of variety in
shots, including nice use of the lob and volley drops, as well as
pace.

In the fifth it was Urquhart who looked to have a little more
spring in her step as she raced out to a 9-3 lead before ultimately
taking it 11-5 in the decider, as Donna moves on to face fellow
lefty Amanda Landers Murphy.

Samantha vs Nikki 14-12, 11-6, 11-7

The final match of the day was Samantha Teran of Mexico against
Canadian and local favorite Nikki Todd of Canada. The veteran from
Mexico was very consistent all match. Samantha won the first two
games based on her effort and consistency.

Nikki put up a great
fight as the fans in Winnipeg have grown used to from Nikki. In the
third Nikki was up 7-4, but the veteran from Mexico dug in and
climbed her way back with shear grit and determination taking the
game 11-7 and moving on to face Aisling Blake.